


Pillow Talk

by Madmeeper



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-02 20:38:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13326048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madmeeper/pseuds/Madmeeper
Summary: Short, introspective conversations between adult Link and Tetra.





	1. What Ifs

**Author's Note:**

> So TeLink has always been one of my favorite ships ever and they’ve been DOMINATING my brain lately. Wrote out some dialogue, some my friends liked it enough so I’ve fleshed it out into a series of mini-fics. I’m not a great writer but I hope that you guys enjoy my interpretation of what their relationship and banter is like!
> 
> I imagine them in their early 20s unless stated otherwise. They’ve been adventuring on the Great Sea and beyond for a number of years now and still haven’t discovered a land fitting to be New Hyrule, but they’re not exactly actively looking. They’ve got a pirate’s life to live!
> 
> Also if you guys are interested, I also run a sideblog called TotallyTelink on Tumblr.

Running a ship, taking care of a crew, fighting the elements of the Great Sea, pushing back rival pirates… Things were so busy, loud, always demanding her attention. 

It was nice to sit and not think about it once in a while. 

The problem was, when her mind wasn’t on her crew and whatever treasure they currently had their sights on, it was almost always questioning her life choices.  And so, sitting on her bed holding a book that she wasn’t really reading, she finally had to speak her mind, “What would life be like if I never came to your island?”

Link was snuggled comfortably against Tetra, eyes closed and fading into sleep, but awake enough to still hold conversation, “Different, I would think.”

Well, maybe not  _ that awake.  _ Link wasn’t a vague man typically; she was going to have to dig deeper to get something out of him in this sleepy state, “... a good different?”

He shrugs, letting his eyes flutter half open, “Maybe. It'd be awfully boring compared to what I have now, though.” Despite his frame being nestled and buried against her, she could still make out a small smile gracing his features. 

Tetra smirked, “I mean obviously, you wouldn’t have me around to keep you on your toes,” she wondered if he could tell, and he probably could, that Tetra wanted no other life but the one she shared with him.

He hummed in agreement, letting his eyes fall closed again and his speech begin to slur, “I probably would’a been a fisherman.” He said easily, as if he had once thought about this very topic, “My father was one, so was my gran’pa, so it’s what m’ grandma knows, and Abe is one, too.” He yawned, and she absently wondered if he had any idea how… adorably vulnerable he looked when he was on sleep’s doorstep, “Would’a probably learned the trade from ‘em.”

“Hm…” She thought on those words, and something occurred to her; she had torn Link away from what was probably a safe and secure living. One that he could spend with his family on Outset… she didn’t know how to feel about it. 

She mumbled, “...so an actual, respectable job.”

He didn’t miss the implications, and was suddenly up again, locking eyes with hers, “I like traveling with you, Tetra.” The answer was open, honest, and looked like it came so easily to Link. His face was plagued with fatigue, but his eyes were sincere and attentive, studying her. She knew this look by now. They could read each other with ease, even when they were guarded, trying to hide things from one another. 

Goddesses this man was too much. 

She took his face in her hands and kissed him, and in feeling the way he leaned in and relaxed, internally thanked the goddesses that this wasn’t going to turn into a long conversation. She knew that Link wanted to stay, he had turned down every opportunity to settle down somewhere in favor of being with her. But sometimes her mind wandered, and she didn’t want him to worry. Maybe she wouldn’t need to explain, maybe this would be reassurance enough. 

They broke apart, and she noticed once again how sleepy he looked. Thinking it probably cruel to keep him up any longer, she turned out the nearby light and pulled him under the covers. “So, you like being a pirate?” 

He didn’t say anything, or fight her on the way down, and settled in behind her after throwing an arm over her waist. Tetra realized he was probably too tired to answer, but he did. In the dark, the still, the calm, the rhythmic rocking of their ship lulling the two into sleep, she heard Link mumble,

“Anything for you, my Captain.”

 


	2. Ship Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link realized then something he hadn’t thought about before, and tilted his head up, attempting to look Tetra in the eye while she worked, “So why’d you never name the ship?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow here's another! I wrestled with this one for a while. Writing is difficult for me so this one went through a couple drafts, but finally got it to a place where I think it's ok to post. Enjoy!

It was late afternoon and they had weighed anchor for the night, Tetra at her desk pouring over maps (as usual), and Link wrapped up with a book on the couch. It was pleasantly quiet - a nice companionable silence they shared with little sound other than the creaking of the boat and the waves of the great sea. He enjoyed silent reading, and always felt more comfortable doing so in the presence of his captain, so he typically pushed the hobby to the evenings. Books could only entertain him for so long, though, and Link found himself a decent stopping point.

He closed the book and sighed. Truthfully, the book was uninteresting, and while a story about pirates out to steal the world's treasures would have captured his imagination as a boy, the novelty of the whole thing had sort of rubbed off now. Was there even a point in continuing to read it? He supposed so, he was already halfway through the story, and goddesses knew the lack of closure would kill him even if the story was boring. He could put it away for now, though, and subject himself to the torture of light reading later. For now, he was bored, and being bored meant there was only one thing to do; tear the Captain away from her work.

He pushed himself off the couch with a sigh, and made his way over to the desk. Footsteps joined the subtle chorus of creaks and waves, and alerted Tetra to Link’s approach, “Bored already?” She asked, not even looking up from her work. He could see even from behind her that the desk was a mess; an assortment of sea charts and tools scattered about in an shuffle that, no doubt, had an organized system to it.

There was a stool next to her seat that he took residence on, and rested his head on her shoulder. “Stories about swashbuckling pirates are sort of lackluster anymore.”

“Why’d you pick it up, then?”

He shrugged, “Seemed interesting.”

“Obviously.” Link watched her hands glide across the map, scribbling notes in a way more graceful than he would have anticipated from a pirate. She glanced at him briefly, that signature tinge of amusement in her eye, “So you’ve come to bother me, then.” and wasted no time getting back at her sea chart.

“Yep” he responded, and settled in further.  Link absently wondered how many secrets the old parchment held; she was an obsessive cartographer, but an even more obsessive treasure hunter. There was little doubt in his mind that her sea chart alone, with all its notes and hidden secrets, was worth more than all the spoils he had found on his grand adventures.

He knew she didn’t like to be bothered, especially while working, but Link couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t like anything bad would come of it. Nobody knew his Captain like he did, and she couldn’t stay upset with him for long - she was too smitten with him and his antics. Besides, she had been working for a few hours now, and could spare some time to entertain her needy boyfriend.

But she was focused, not even sparing a glance, and so as he waited for the right opportunity his mind wandered. His thoughts returned to the book as he rested against her. The story itself was generic and boring, but he had to admit the ship descriptions were cool. Everything was recorded in written word, from the color of the wood, how old the ship was, down to its name, and really gave a sense for the space that the characters inhabited.

Link realized then something he hadn’t thought about before, and tilted his head up, attempting to look Tetra in the eye while she worked, “So why’d you never name the ship?”

She scrunched her nose, confused, “What kind of question is that?”

“You know, the ship!” He said as he gestured loosely to the boat they currently inhabited, “All the other pirates we come across seem to have names for their vessels. Even the fishermen name their boats. I was just curious on why yours isn’t named.”

She pursed out her lip in thought, but he couldn’t get a good read on her. Confusion graced her features for just a moment, but as quickly as it came it was gone, and she returned to her chart, “I dunno, didn't seem important.”

That wasn’t really the answer he was looking for, “I guess not, but… it feels weird?”

“I don’t think so.” She said with a shrug, gently moving Link’s head with the gesture.

He smirked, “Oh come on, Cap’n, even MY ship has a name!”

She paused her work, wrinkled her brow, and eyed him. She squinted, “...The King of Red Lions?”

He beamed, “Yeah!” _Finally,_ he had her attention!

That earned him an eye roll, “That hardly counts,” she started, turning her head to face him, “he was a real person.”

Link pushed himself off her shoulder, and rested an arm on her desk, “Yeah but his _real_ name was Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule-”

She smirked, “-I can’t believe you remember that whole name-”

“-AND!! ...it was different from the ship name.”

A chuckle escaped her, and shot him an amused glance as she set her cartography tools down. She turned to face him fully and rested her chin in her palm, “I mean, is it really my responsibility to name the ship? It was my mother’s, really, and she never bothered naming it.”

Link mirrored her, resting his head in his hand, “Well what’s stopping you?”

She shrugged, and Link realized that she truly _hadn’t_ thought about this before. He supposed growing up on a ship with no name wouldn’t feel weird to somebody who had spent their whole life exposed to it…but then an idea struck him. It was a bad idea, and she was going to hate it, but he was going to do it anyway, _especially_ since it would annoy her enough to pull her away from her charts for the rest of the night, “Can I come up with a name?”

She squinted, her mouth forming into a thin line, “Absolutely not.”

Bingo, “ _The Red Kargaroc”_

Something flashed in her eyes, a warning of what was to come, and gave him a look that he knew all too well, “Link…” she said, tone communicating that he was treading on _dangerous_ waters.

Of course, he intended to ignore it, “Oh oh oh, how about…” he paused, mostly for dramatic effect, partially to see if Tetra was going to jump him, “... _Valoo’s Wrath.”_

Suddenly she was close, leaning into his personal space, her face a hair's breadth away from his. She was giving him _that_ look, he one that said _one more mess up and you’re a dead man._ “I think you should stop while you’re ahead, Hero.”

The inclusion of his nickname softened the blow, and gave him confidence that she wasn’t _truly_ upset with him. So Link, infamous for his lack of self preservation, kept going, “ _Darknut’s Doom.”_

_“_ Okay, _that’s_ it!”

She lunged forward and attempted to grab Link, but just as she was about to close in on him he leaned back and slipped just out of her reach. Unfortunately he went a little too far and fell off his stool, and landed on the floor with a thump.

He laughed as he rolled on the floor, trying to put some distance between them, but she was way too fast. She grabbed his ankle and started pulling him towards her, Link squirming the whole way and giggling like a child, “Gotcha!” She remarked, retaining her iron grip as her captive flailed around, “Will you stop disgracing my ship with stupid names now?” She was smiling, that playful yet determined gleam in her eye, and it only encouraged him to annoy her more.

_“Thieves Honor, Octo’s Gold, Cursed Cutlass!”_ He said between giggles, squirming and kicking his feet to try and loosen her grasp, but she was much stronger than him. She pulled him towards her despite all his flailing and laughing, and sat on his waist, her face looming over his, “You going to keep going?” She asked, amusement in her voice and a smirk on her face.

He laughed, and opened his mouth again to say more, but she quickly covered it with her hands, and his voice was lost in muffles. So he just lied there and.. breathed. They were at a stalemate; he’d keep saying dumb stuff, and she was too stubborn to let up on him. He smiled, and kissed her hand as it covered his mouth, thinking maybe it would throw her off just enough for him to make a mistake.

She scoffed, “Flattery will get you nowhere, Hero.” But she faltered, loosening up just enough for Link to wiggle out of her grasp and break free. He scurried away before she could grab him again, giggling and shouting more ship names while she gave chase in a childish game of tag. And so laughter filled the cabin, echoed through the hull, and radiated to the deck, joining the chorus of creaks and waves as the wind carried the sound into the night.


End file.
